The Beloved Potato Dish That Dates Back To The 19th Century

Delmonico Potatoes earned their reputation early, standing out in the 19th century as a richer and more deliberate preparation than most potato dishes of the time. The dish originated at Delmonico's, the New York restaurant credited with shaping early American fine dining, and it quickly became one of its signature offerings. Instead of relying on simple boiling or frying, the kitchen built the potatoes on a creamy base of whole milk, heavy cream, parmesan, nutmeg, and white pepper. Naming a potato dish after a restaurant was unusual during that era, and the move signaled a level of intention that helped the preparation stand out.

Mentions of the dish began circulating well beyond New York not long after it appeared on Delmonico's early menus. By the late 1800s, regional newspapers were noting Delmonico-style potatoes, suggesting the preparation had gained enough recognition to carry its name outside the city. Even when it appeared beside the restaurant's famous Delmonico Steak, the potatoes were memorable enough to stand on their own, offering a richer and more distinctive character than most sides of the period.

Those early references help illustrate what it was like to eat at the first-ever Steakhouse, where even a potato dish carried a sense of refinement and purpose.

Tracing the first true version of Delmonico Potatoes is where the history gets complicated. The earliest surviving menu from the restaurant in 1838 listed "Pommes de terre a la maitre d'hotel," translated at the time as "fricasseed potatoes," which doesn't line up neatly with the creamy, baked version people now associate with the name. That mismatch fuels the debate over who actually created the dish. Early Delmonico's figures, like John Lux and Alessandro Filippini, often enter the conversation, but no single inventor can be confirmed. One name that can be set aside, though, is Charles Ranhofer. He didn't join Delmonico's until the 1860s — well after the potatoes were already on the menu — and his massive cookbook, The Epicurean, never included the recipe.

As the dish spread, cooks continued offering interpretations that rarely matched one another. The 1874 White House Cook Book presented its own take on Potatoes à la Delmonico, while an 1878 clipping from the Wayne County Herald detailed a version made with marble-sized potato balls cooked slowly in butter. By the 1890s, Fannie Merritt Farmer introduced a gratin-style approach topped with buttered breadcrumbs, adding yet another layer to its evolving identity.

Those differing interpretations eventually narrowed into the cream-based version most diners recognize today. The modern Delmonico's serves a take called "Baked Cream Potatoes," a nod to the recipe's long evolution and its steady place at one of the best Steakhouses in the country.